Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रस्थितौ तौ तदा दृष्ट्वा दुर्वाससजनार्द्दनौ । अनन्तः पुरुषो ऽगच्छन्मुशली च हलायुधः

Transliteration

prasthitau tau tadā dṛṣṭvā durvāsasajanārddanau | anantaḥ puruṣo 'gacchanmuśalī ca halāyudhaḥ

Translation

Voyant Durvāsā et Janārdana se mettre en route, Ananta, l’Être sans fin, s’avança ; et Muśalī (Balarāma), porteur de la massue et de l’arme du soc, alla de même.

Word by Word

• प्रस्थितौ: having set out / departed
• प्रस्थितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; 'having set out' (departed)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• दुर्वासस-जनार्दनौ: Durvāsas and Janārdana
• दुर्वासस-जनार्दनौ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक) + जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (दुर्वाससश्च जनार्दनश्च)

• अनन्तः: Ananta (Śeṣa)
• अनन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुरुषः: the person (Puruṣa)
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अगच्छन्: went
• अगच्छन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुशली: Muśalī (Balarāma)
• मुशली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुशलिन्/मुशली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हलायुधः: he whose weapon is a plough
• हलायुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य आयुधं हलम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā and Janārdana begin their journey; Ananta and Muśalī (Balarāma with plough weapon) join, forming a fourfold sacred entourage.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Ananta
• Muśalī (Balarāma)
• Halāyudha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy rites and tīrtha-journeys are supported by divine companions, underscoring the sanctity of the path to purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s tīrtha landscape is in view, especially the Gomati–samudra saṅgama referenced in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it narrates the sacred departure accompanying the brāhmaṇa’s forthcoming bath.